Missing the Knight
by Beth C
Summary: Michael is dead, Kitt has to come to terms with a new driver. Want to know more? Read the story.


Missing the Knight  
  
By Beth C  
  
Summary: Michael is dead, and Kitt must cope. Want to know more, read the story.  
  
Rating: G for grief. No bad words.  
  
Disclaimer: Knight Rider is copyright to Glen A. Larson. Don't sue guys... I only borrowed them. I'll put them back when I'm done... I promise...  
  
Feedback: Certainly... Trekie386@aol.com. No flames, please.   
  
Author's Note: I do not consider the movie KR2000 canon in this fic. Therefore Devon is alive and well. I guess that makes this AU. I'm only going by what was revealed in the shows.   
  
*****  
  
He knew it was going to happen eventually, for it always happened. He had included the possibility into his programming, that humans have a limited life-span. It was naturally part of their life cycle. They were born, they lived, and they died.  
  
He had seen many of them die, in his own experience, some right in front of him. He had witnessed a few births as well. He understood that no one lives forever.   
  
Yet the death of this one particular human affected him immensely. It rocked him to the core of his being. He had not expected this particular human to die this soon.   
  
Kitt watched from the curbside as Michael's coffin was lowered into the hard earth as the 23rd psalm was recited. The preacher began as one by one the mourners brought forth roses of all different colors and placed them in the grave. "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake."  
  
The Foundation members were the last to come up, most of them kept their heads bowed low, all were crying in some form, or silently holding in their grief.   
  
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever."  
  
Bonnie was the last to drop her red rose as she held tightly to Devon. "Good-bye, Michael" she whispered, tears streaming down her face.  
  
In deference to the partnership, the Foundation had allowed an outdoor funeral so Kitt could attend. No one questioned it, and everyone had agreed it was only fair.  
  
Kitt had been there from Michael's re-birth right down to his death. No one felt they should deny the car the chance to say good-bye.  
  
The death had been sudden; it had been a normal mission, right up to the point where Michael had gotten shot multiple times. Once in the shoulder, once in the leg, once in the stomach and once on his chest just missing his heart. The wounds hadn't even seemed life threatening, until the bleeding couldn't be stopped. One of the bullets had nicked a major artery and Michael was bleeding to death.   
  
He had managed to climb into Kitt, and placed his life into his partner's hands- so to speak. Kitt had taken off for the nearest hospital, doing his best to keep Michael conscious during the drive. So many times they had already done this in the line of duty. Every time, Michael had survived.   
  
Except this time. Michael had lost consciousness en route, and within a minute his pulse had stopped. Kitt began broadcasting "Code Blue" to the hospital. He arrived in minutes and Michael was whisked away to emergency surgery.   
  
They had gotten him back, briefly, and had stabilized him enough to move him to ICU. He was comatose, and had a slim chance of survival. Weeks passed while Kitt waited patiently outside the hospital; parked right near the window of the private first floor room; for word of Michael's recovery. He would watch his partner on the monitor, keeping tabs on every blip that kept Michael alive. He would talk to Michael over the comlink, hoping that Michael could hear him and hang on. That was Bonnie's idea. She had sat by his bedside almost since he had arrived. Devon had flown in as soon as he had heard.   
  
Michael never regained consciousness. The trauma had been too much. Brain activity had ceased, and the only things keeping Michael alive were the machines. He was wired into no less than five of them, to regulate his breathing, his heartbeat, monitor brain activity, drip fluids into his already swollen body and filter his kidneys.  
  
Bedside vigils were set up in the hopes that Michael could and would pull through. The first week was the worst, as hopes were the highest. As time passed, it became more and more certain that the man they had all loved was gone. Devon had to make the hardest decisions, which tests to run and when and then the hardest of all.   
  
The decision was reached to disconnect the machines. They all stood silently by as one by one they were turned off and Michael took his last breath. Then nothing. Bonnie had held his hand and watched him go. Afterwards she had turned to Devon, sobbing.  
  
Kitt had monitored the whole thing from his spot right under the window. With the last blip from the machines, he felt like a part of himself had been erased. It was over, it was done. Nothing would ever be the same again.  
  
Now this day of the funeral, Kitt remained as everyone else left. There had been so many to show, so many to see the man that had helped them. So many to pay their final respects.   
  
Devon and Bonnie approached the car, both had looks of great sadness and Bonnie was clutching a soggy handkerchief tightly. She whispered something to Devon, who nodded and headed for the Foundation's limousine.  
  
She opened Kitt's door and climbed inside, tears still trickling down her face. "Kitt, I asked Devon for a few minutes alone to talk to you."  
  
"Certainly, Bonnie." Kitt replied.   
  
"I can't believe he's gone," she said through a haze of tears.   
  
"It is difficult for me to accept as well," Kitt answered her with a twinge of sadness in his computerized voice. "I keep expecting him to suddenly show up, even though I know he is gone. Is this a computer error?"  
  
"No, Kitt. It's not." She wiped away a tear as she herself imagined Michael striding up to the car, telling her he needed Kitt for some crazy stunt. "It's normal to wish for someone that is gone to come back."  
  
"What will happen now, Bonnie?" Kitt asked, letting a twinge of fear into his Boston twang.   
  
She sighed a heavy sigh, one of a person bringing bad news. "Well for starters, we pick up the pieces, and go on. Tough as that may seem right now, it's normally what people do."  
  
Silence filled the car for a few moments. Kitt felt it in the air; the tension was thick as butter. Bonnie was doing her best to hold on, to be brave and see this all through to the end.   
  
"Bonnie, there is something you don't know." Kitt broke the silence at last.  
  
"What is that, Kitt?" She dabbed at her eyes, trying to focus on the voicebox in front of her.   
  
"What happened to Michael was my fault." Kitt admitted.   
  
"Why do you say that?" She asked, puzzled. "From the reports on the scene and the tape you've shown us, I can't see where you are at fault."  
  
"I let him out of the car into what I had known would be a dangerous situation." Kitt answered. "I should have locked the doors."  
  
"Is that what's bothering you? What you should have or could have done?" Bonnie queried the AI. "You blame yourself?"  
  
"Yes." The word was spoken in a soft tone, barely audible to Bonnie's ears.   
  
"Kitt, do you know what I hate most about funerals?" She paused only a moment but didn't give him time to answer. "The 'what if's' and 'if only's' that I get to hear over and over again." She began to scold the car, more out of her own sense of loss than anything else. "He was too young to die, if only he had done this or it's a shame he's gone, what if he had done that instead." She pounded her hand on the dash hard. "You are not to blame yourself for what happened, Kitt. He would have found a way to get out of the car anyway. He knew the situation, he knew the danger." Now she stopped, running out of steam.  
  
Kitt didn't say anything in answer to this tirade; he didn't know what to say now.   
  
Bonnie realized that she had been yelling and tried to calm down. "I'm sorry for yelling, Kitt," she apologized.   
  
"No apology is necessary," Kitt stated plainly.   
  
"Yes it is, and I'm sorry. What is done is done; nobody can go changing the past. Saying 'if only' and 'what if' will not change what happened. It only makes those still living feel worse."   
  
There was silence again as Kitt fed this new data through his systems. There was still a lot for him to learn in this world, he surmised.   
  
Bonnie wiped her eyes again; they had begun to fill with tears. "I'd better get going, Kitt. Devon's waiting in the limo. There is to be a reception at the Foundation. I want you to go back to the garage, and wait for further instructions."  
  
"Yes, Bonnie."   
  
She opened the door to get out. "We all miss him, and we are all grieving for him, Kitt." She smiled a tiny ghost of a smile. "Even you will grieve in your own way."  
  
"Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, Bonnie."  
  
"You're welcome, Kitt. We can talk more later." She stepped completely out of the car now and closed the door, knowing that Kitt would find his way back home without her help.  
  
After the last car had left, the workmen began to fill in the hole in the earth. Kitt stayed behind to watch, as the earth was dumped on the casket of his friend. He was still there when they laid the sod, over an hour later.   
  
He couldn't bring himself to leave. He watched them lay the tombstone.  
  
Michael Arthur Knight  
  
1949 – 1985  
  
"One man who made a difference."  
  
When the workers all left, Kitt still remained. He knew he had his orders, to return to the Foundation, but what was there to go home to? Everything that had ever mattered to him was here now.   
  
Bonnie finally contacted him as the sun was setting. "Kitt? Where are you and why did you not come back as ordered?" She looked angry and worried at the same time.  
  
"I'm still at the cemetery, where I've been all day." Kitt said. "I can't seem to leave."  
  
"Is there something wrong, Kitt? Do you need me to come out to get you?" Bonnie looked ready to jump up at the slightest acknowledgement.   
  
"No, Bonnie, it's nothing mechanical." Kitt tried to explain. "I just wanted to stay until the grave was finished."  
  
Bonnie nodded, "Okay, Kitt, but I think it's time to come back now." She made it seem like a suggestion, but Kitt knew it was another order, and one he should obey. "It will be okay to leave him now, Kitt." She added as an afterthought.  
  
"Yes, Bonnie." He closed the connection and started up the motor. With a single swish of his scanner, he scanned the grave a final time. "Good-bye, Michael."  
  
**********  
  
The next few weeks passed by in a blur of tests and interviews for a new pilot in the FLAG program. One after another, the applicants failed either the interview or the field test with Kitt. None of them were suited to take over Michael's job.   
  
At night, Kitt was free to rest and recharge. He would often go to Bay 3, park in the corner where Michael had once worked on him and wait. There were a few times that he actually left the Foundation grounds late at night and drove to the cemetery. He hadn't been forbidden to go, so what could it hurt?  
  
Tonight he was in his usual parking spot, while Bonnie ran a series of checks over his engine and computer components. "Kitt?"  
  
"Yes, Bonnie?" His voice was soft, even for him. Hardly anyone talked to him anymore, except Bonnie.  
  
"How are you doing?" She had one hand on his roof and reached down to open the door.  
  
"I'm fine." He replied then opened the door for her. She slid easily inside.   
  
"You're lying. I've seen you leave the grounds late at night, and I know where you are going."  
  
"You do?" Kitt was surprised that anyone had even noticed that he had gone; he barely stayed away for more than a half-hour.  
  
She nodded then pressed a few buttons to bring up one of Michael's pictures on the monitor. "Yep. You go to him at night."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
Bonnie merely shrugged. "I've come down to check on you and found you gone. Where else would you go of your own free will?" She gently touched the face of Michael in the picture. So handsome he had been.   
  
Kitt displayed another picture, one of him with Michael, taken at one of the company's benefits. "I feel so lost without him."  
  
"We all do. So you're not alone." She played with the gull wing briefly. "I bet you miss racing around at over 100 and turbo boosting through walls too."  
  
"I haven't had to use any of those functions since he died. I feel so unnecessary now. And these new people they are bringing in just don't seem to have the interaction that Michael and I had shared."   
  
A thought occurred to her, one that Devon probably hadn't bothered to think of. "Are you sabotaging the interviews with the new drivers so that they fail?"  
  
"Of course not, Bonnie," Kitt's reply was immediate. "I don't like the fact that they are replacing him, but I would never deliberately sabotage an interview."  
  
"Well, FLAG must go on, Kitt. You know he would have wanted it that way." She spoke with such gentleness, as if explaining death to a child instead of a car. "He really believed in Wilton's ideals, that one man could make a difference."  
  
"I know, Bonnie." The voice modulator tracked his words. A very long pause filled the room. Kitt finally broke it by speaking the words that had bothered him for so long. "Will I be compatible with another driver?"  
  
She tried her best to reassure the car now. "It won't be the same with another person at the helm, for no matter who they find, no one will ever work as well with you as Michael did. Yet you will adapt to someone else. That is one great thing about your programming, it's very versatile." She leaned her head back into the tan seat, resting against the headrest. The lingering scent of Michael's aftershave was still embedded into the fabric. It was a scent that evoked many memories for her.  
  
Kitt let the statement stand on its own. Versatile. Multi-functional. Both those words did describe him, yet somehow they had a negative connotation to him. He realized that he didn't want to adapt, he didn't want to change the easy-going routine that Michael had shared with him.   
  
"Kitt?"  
  
"Yes, Bonnie?"  
  
"I'm always here if you need someone to talk to, anytime night or day." Her eyes were still looking at the two pictures on the monitors. Kitt shifted one to display a picture of Michael smiling and coming up behind Bonnie, working at one of the computers in the semi.  
  
"Thank you, Bonnie. That means a lot to me."  
  
They spent the next few hours in quiet remembrance of the man they had both cared for. Kitt showed off the many snapshots that he never really had time to show Bonnie before, and shared many fun stories about Michael's exploits behind the wheel.  
  
It was a good feeling to be needed, if only to provide Bonnie with a few more memories to keep close to her heart.  
  
**********  
  
After numerous trials, a replacement was soon selected for Kitt's new partner. The lucky young man was Phillip Stevens. He was 32 years old, 5'11" in height. His eyes were an intense green color that contrasted boldly with his straight blond hair. His background was a cop, undercover like Michael had been, he passed all security checks, and more importantly he had no family that would interfere with his new job.  
  
FLAG accepted him into the program. He was likeable enough on the surface, yet he held himself at a distance. Kitt grudgingly accepted Phillip as the new pilot, for after going through literally hundreds of interviews and finding none of them acceptable, he was growing tired himself of the same questions being asked. The same astonishment at the talking car, the same disbelief in his abilities. It was as if one person were being cloned and asked tine and time again to sit in the car for a test run. Phillip had been the best of a bad lot, so Kitt cleared him on his end.  
  
There had been a few moments of apprehension – on Kitt's part – as a discussion was overheard about either changing Kitt's vanity plate and therefore Kitt's acronym or changing Phillips last name.  
  
Kitt had anxiously called out to Bonnie, fearful that part of his identity would be lost. He certainly did not want to be called S.I.T.T. in any way, shape or form; it didn't sit well with him. She had taken hours to reassure him that he would remain K.I.T.T. no matter what. Then she had taken it upon herself to argue on his behalf to Devon. Phillip decided to keep his last name, and the car would continue to be Kitt, and keep the Knight plate.  
  
Their first mission together would be tomorrow. It was a simple one, just to see how well Kitt and Phillip could work together. The first bonds of Michael and Kitt's friendship had taken weeks to form; it was during the missions that true personalities had been revealed.   
  
The mission went off without a hitch; everything had worked smoothly with the exception of conversation. Phillip was not a natural talker, and when he did talk it was mostly to himself. Kitt felt left out, and had tried engaging his new driver into a conversation, but Phillip either ignored him or answered in one word sentences.  
  
Also, he insisted on being called Phil. Kitt felt kind of at odds about this, as he had never called Michael 'Mike'. He disliked using a familiar term with someone he was not familiar with at all.   
  
After the mission had ended, Devon had seemed pleased that FLAG would continue after all. He praised Phillip on his good work and set up the next mission. It was now three months since Michael's death.   
  
Bonnie sat now at the computer in Bay 3 checking the major systems for the next mission. "Please send me the results from the alpha circuit diagnostics, Kitt."   
  
"Would you like the results from the delta relays as well?"  
  
She nodded her head without taking her eyes from the monitor. "Sure." As the results came up she frowned. "Why are the capacitors showing stress?"  
  
"Phil has a lead foot." Kitt deadpanned.  
  
"Phil?" She turned in her seat to face Kitt. "Since when do you call people by informal names?" She knew that on occasion, Kitt still referred to Devon as Mr. Miles.   
  
"Since he insisted. It was the only way to get him to talk to me."   
  
Bonnie sighed. "Is it that bad?" She knew things had been tough, and that when the transmissions came through they were very brief, concentrating only on what was required to complete the mission. None of the banter or charm of Michael flowed over any of the conversations she had with Phillip.  
  
Kitt let his scanner swish twice. He thought briefly about not answering on the grounds that his answer might incriminate him. Then he realized that not answering would probably give Bonnie the wrong impression. "Worse."  
  
She turned back to the computer. "Maybe he's just adjusting. This is all new for him as well. Remember how long it took with you and Michael to feel comfortable with each other."  
  
"Michael talked to me right from the start." Kitt said. "Even if it was just to yell at me. Phillip does not even acknowledge that I'm there with him unless he needs something."  
  
Bonnie had to suppress a smile. "It sounds to me like you are complaining, Kitt." She typed a few lines on the computer, then got up and picked up a wrench. "Pop the hood, Kitt. If Mr. Leadfoot is going to keep on driving you, I need to make some adjustments."  
  
Kitt did as he was told. "I don't think I am complaining, but is it too much to just say hello once in a while?"   
  
Bonnie reached in and began some adjustments. When she spoke her voice was muffled. "I guess you will have to take that up with him." She finished recalibrating and repositioning the capacitors. "How's that, Kitt?"  
  
"That's fine. Thank you, Bonnie."  
  
She tightened up the last of the bolts, then moved out from under the hood. "Now tell Phillip to take it easy on you when extra speed isn't necessary." She reached up and shut the hood.  
  
"I'd rather you told him, Bonnie. He might just listen to you."  
  
She nodded, "He might, but I'm not the one who needs to spend time with him." She reached for a rag nearby and wiped off her hands. "Kitt, don't worry, it will all work out."  
  
He didn't reply, just let his scanner track silently.   
  
Bonnie sighed and went back to her work. Cars and men, she didn't know which could be more temperamental. If one didn't pout, the other certainly would. She hoped she was doing the right thing, by making Kitt face his problem, but something in her gut was saying different.   
  
Time would tell, she told herself. Time would tell.  
  
*****  
  
Later that same night, Kitt was still analyzing some of the statements Bonnie had said. Was it really up to him to make the partnership work? Or was it supposed to be a joint effort? Should Phillip meet him halfway, or should Kitt do most of the work? He had never been this confused with Michael.   
  
A single sound from across the garage caught his attention. It was a single footstep, yet it was loud enough to warrant the attention of the AI. He checked the clock, 2:45am. Nobody should be nosing around the garage at this hour. Kitt himself was usually shut down to recharge. The only reason he wasn't was due to the conflicting patterns of behavior he was sorting out.  
  
Kitt began scanning the garage, trying to trace where the sound had come from. The back door. Kitt activated his silent mode, drove out of the garage and around to the back side. He scanned the area. Whoever had made that sound was now long gone. Kitt could pick up no trace of him on the scanner. He did find a single footprint in the soil just outside the door, and he photographed it.  
  
He would inform Bonnie, Phillip and Devon tomorrow about the intruder. He didn't think the situation warranted an alert in the middle of the night. Quietly he motored back to his position in the garage.   
  
Tonight, he would remain in surveillance mode.  
  
****  
  
"You observed what?" Bonnie asked again.  
  
"There was an intruder in the garage last night," Kitt explained while showing the digital photo of the footprint.  
  
"Is anything missing from the garage?" Devon questioned Bonnie.   
  
"I'll have to run an inventory." She looked from one worried face to the other.   
  
Devon nodded. "Do it." He shifted his focus to Phillip. "Did you hear anything out of the ordinary last night?"  
  
Phillip simply shook his head. "No. I left the garage while Ms. Barstow was-"  
  
"Bonnie," she called from her place by one of the workbenches.   
  
Phillip looked at her, puzzled.   
  
"My name is Bonnie," she corrected gently.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Right." He looked back at Devon. "I left while Bonnie was still running the diagnostics on the car. I went up to my room and got ready for bed." He lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. "I didn't know to be looking for intruders."  
  
Devon studied Phillip. To him the kid seemed kind of young; he definitely looked younger than his 32 years. If only he knew what responsibility was sitting on his shoulders. "Well for the moment, I don't see any reason for stepped up security." He waited for Bonnie to finish the inventory.   
  
She did and came back with a list. "Not much was taken, Devon. Nothing expensive. Just a micro-screwdriver set, a flashlight, a pair of needle nose pliers and a magnifying glass."  
  
"That's a strange list of items." Phillip remarked.   
  
Bonnie frowned at him. "Just your basic tools for fine tuning electronics." Something occurred to her. "Kitt, did you run a review of the alarm logs for last night? No one should have even come close to the garage without setting off the alarm."  
  
The car answered immediately. "Nevertheless someone has. Yes, Bonnie, I did. Whoever gained access used one of the codes from the security guards to deactivate the alarms."  
  
Phillip scowled at that news. "And you didn't find that unusual?"   
  
Kitt rebuked that statement. "It is not unusual for guards to patrol in the middle of the night."  
  
"After their set rounds?" Phillip countered. "Unless one of them saw something, there shouldn't have been anyone near Bay 3 at that hour."  
  
"Maybe you should be talking to the guards, Phil." Kitt replied in a solemn tone. "I am just relaying what I observed on my sensors."  
  
Bonnie could feel the atmosphere begin to charge with the brewings of an argument. She stepped between the car and its driver. "I think that's a good idea. You can check their actual patrol logs on record at the guardhouse."  
  
Phillip looked to Devon who nodded his approval. "Let me know what you find out."   
  
Without another word, he turned and headed out of the garage. Bonnie sighed and wearily went to sit on a stool near one of the benches. "Why do I always feel like I have to play mediator whenever he is around?"  
  
Devon rested one hand on her shoulder, which she covered with one of her own. "You are just too protective of Kitt, Bonnie. No one is denying that they are having a rocky start to their relationship, but I'm sure they will both adjust." He smiled down to her. "You used to bash Michael every chance you got."  
  
His statement caused the corners of her mouth to turn up. "Yeah, I did, didn't I?"  
  
Devon squeezed her hand once again. "Yes, you did. Now why don't we get some tea and wait for Phillip to return?" He held out his other hand and helped her up.   
  
"Alright, Devon. But no crumpets," she teased.  
  
He looked astonished before he realized that she was pulling his leg. "Ok, biscuits then." He led her away as she stifled a small giggle.  
  
*****  
  
Three missions later, Kitt was finding himself no closer to a solution to his problem with Phillip than before. Things were still tense, yet somehow, they managed to work together for the sake of the mission.  
  
It was during the drive back from the last mission that Kitt tried once again to engage his new partner in a conversation. "Phil, I scanned your vitals, and you appear to be exhausted. Might I suggest that you place the car in auto cruise mode for safety's sake?"  
  
"No."  
  
"How about some music then?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you sure? I can access all the latest tunes from Classical to Rock –N- Roll. What do you prefer?" Kitt suggested helpfully.  
  
"I said no. What part of no does your processor not understand?" Phillip barked at the steering wheel.  
  
Kitt remained silent for a beat, the only sound being the constant whine from the turbine engine. After a few moments he replied. "What my processor does not understand is the constant hostility you are displaying towards me. Why did you take this job if you are not willing to accept me as your partner?"  
  
Phillip let out a snort. "You are not my partner, you are a tool used to get the job done. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to finish the rest of the drive back in peace." He thumbed down one of the windows to let in some cool night air.   
  
Nobody had ever said those words to him before. Kitt was surprised at how much a few words could sting. Now he missed Michael more than ever. "As you wish," he stated coldly. True to those words, he didn't utter another word for the rest of the trip back.  
  
*****  
  
Three weeks later another incident of theft occurred. This time it was while Bonnie, Devon and Phillip were at a Foundation Board meeting. Kitt was parked outside the front of the Foundation mansion.  
  
He would have missed the whole incident if not for the intruder trying to climb out of one of the balcony windows. A small piece of brick was knocked loose from the intruder's attempts to lower himself to the ground.   
  
The fragment hit the ground behind Kitt. Kitt immediately sweeped the area and found the intruder hitting the ground, surprisingly on two feet. The man took off at a sprint, carrying a small bag on his back.   
  
Kitt had to turn around in order to give chase. By the time he got himself oriented in the right direction, the intruder was well away from the mansion and halfway down the alley.   
  
Without orders, Kitt didn't know whether to pursue the fleeing man now that he was off Foundation property or to discontinue the chase. The point was lost a few seconds later as he disappeared into traffic, weaving in and out of cars and then across another alley and out of scanner range.  
  
Kitt had videotaped as much as possible, and something nagged at him from the suspect's motions, yet he couldn't place the fleeing man. With the blue jeans, and hooded jacket, he could have been anyone at all. There was just something about the suspect's long stride that set off warning bells. He would notify Devon immediately.   
  
He suspected the Foundation was in danger.  
  
*****  
  
The limo slid to a halt and Bonnie was the first to jump out. Phillip followed next and then Devon stepped out. Devon and Phillip walked over to where Kitt was parked while Bonnie took off for the mansion.   
  
"I don't think that the Foundation has been compromised." Devon was saying. "I just think whoever is behind these thefts just wants to rattle us."  
  
"Why do you say that, Devon?" Phillip asked while toying with the comlink he was wearing. "Anyone that can get into and out of the mansion, I would consider a threat."  
  
Devon opened Kitt's driver's door. "Watch. Kitt, replay what you already taped."  
  
The monitor blinked on and the image of the fleeing man appeared. It was only about 15 seconds but it was enough to make out that he wasn't carrying much, just the backpack on his back.  
  
"So?" Phillip stated. "I see someone scared for his life about being caught. You see that he doesn't even turn around, yet he knows he is being followed."  
  
"He obviously didn't take much." Devon argued. "Whatever he was after, he didn't find it." He waved a hand at the monitor. "It's broad daylight. What kind of burglar breaks into a place in the middle of the day?"  
  
Bonnie was coming back out from the mansion and she looked very upset as she joined the men. She caught the last part of the statement Devon made. "I beg to differ with that, Devon."  
  
He got out of the car and held out one hand to her. She slid into his arms and began to cry. "Whoever he was, he knew exactly what he wanted."  
  
Phillip's eyes turned to stone. "Bonnie, what did he take?"  
  
She pushed herself away from Devon. "Not that it matters to you, but the burglar took something that meant a lot to me." She sniffed once and tried not to let any more tears show. Devon reached into his pocket and withdrew a handkerchief which he handed to Bonnie.   
  
"Please tell us, Bonnie, what has you so upset?" Devon kept one hand on her back soothingly.   
  
She blew her nose and wiped at her eyes. "I don't know what he really was after. It appears he only went into two rooms in the house. Mine and Devon's." She kept her eyes away from Phillip and spoke only to Devon. "He took the files on the Tencher case off your desk."  
  
Devon's eyebrows arched. "Oh. But I'm sure that isn't what has you so upset."  
  
She shook her head. "On either the way in or out he stopped in my room." She bit back a sob. "He took the jacket."  
  
"Jacket?" Phillip asked.  
  
Bonnie nodded, trying unsuccessfully to stop the flood of tears that started up. "Michael's jacket. I kept it on the foot of my bed." She sobbed.   
  
Devon sighed. This was so unnecessary. "Bonnie, please don't cry. I know how much Michael meant to you, but after all, it was only a jacket." He waited until her tears had slowed some. "Did he take anything else?"  
  
She nodded. "A broken comlink that was on my dresser. The watch part still worked, but the comlink part needed repair. I was going to do it next week. I had been putting it off since…" she drifted off not wanting to say anymore.  
  
Phillip interrupted the two of them. "What about these files, the Tencher ones? I don't recall you mentioning them to me."  
  
"I wasn't going to either. Marlon Tencher was the man who shot Michael. We are continuing to track him, but the situation isn't at the point where I could send you and Kitt in." He sighed again. "Evidently someone got wind of what we were up to here, and decided to try to stop us."  
  
"If I may interrupt for a moment," Kitt broke into the conversation.   
  
"Yes, Kitt?" Bonnie asked.  
  
"From what I observed, the suspect seemed to know exactly where to go and what to grab. I had only scanned the perimeter less than 5 minutes before. I suggest that you place additional security when you will not be on the grounds."   
  
"I concur." Phillip said. "Whenever I'm not around, there should definitely be extra security."  
  
Bonnie noted that Phillip had mentioned only him and not him and Kitt. She was beginning to think Kitt was right about Phillip.  
  
"I'll see to it." Devon stated. "Now I want the both of you to come inside. We can work out the details in there."  
  
Phillip turned and led the way, Bonnie following behind him. Devon closed Kitt's door. "You did a good job, Kitt." As he walked away, Kitt could almost hear a whispered sentence. "Almost too good."  
  
*****  
  
Less than a week later, it would all come to a surprising peak. Phillip was just leaving the garage with Bonnie, to go meet with Devon. He had some new news on the Tencher case.   
  
Security had been beefed up, some of it against Devon's wishes. Security now patrolled the perimeter every half hour, with double codes required to enter any secured building.   
  
Kitt was just settling down for the night when one of his doors opened. He thought for an instant that Phillip came back, having forgotten something. In the time it took him to make that mistake, the intruder had reached under and dismantled the security alarm in the car and overrode all computer controls.  
  
In the next second, he had the car started and was driving off.  
  
It took two more seconds for the AI to recover and register just who the driver was. What he found shocked him to the core.  
  
It wasn't possible. No way. If he could have braked the car, he would have but all computer control was overridden. He struggled to make sense of this. How could it be?   
  
He finally spoke, it was a single word that he had never expected to say again. "M-M-Michael?"  
  
The black leather jacketed driver smiled down at the dash of the car. "Yeah, Buddy. I bet you didn't know that ghosts could drive."  
  
"B-but you're dead. I saw you die." Kitt protested, the shock in his systems coming through in his voice.  
  
"Oh, did you now?" Michael grinned mysteriously. "Are you absolutely sure of that?"  
  
One of the monitors flashed on, playing out the disconnecting of Michael from the life-sustaining machines. Michael watched, fascinated.  
  
"Hmm. Well, I guess it is hard to dispute that." Again the mysterious smile. "That proof would stand up in court."  
  
Kitt pondered the situation he now faced. "I can't understand how you are here then."  
  
"How do you think, Kitt? Come on, use that wonderful processing ability and dazzle me with your logic." Michael turned the car out of the city, and headed for the highway. "That is, unless you don't want to figure this out."  
  
Kitt could tell that Michael was enjoying this. "The only thing that I can deduce is that it wasn't you on that bed."  
  
"Are you sure?" The corners of his eyes crinkled up with suppressed laughter. "It sure looked like me on that bed."  
  
"It's the only logical explanation," Kitt replied.   
  
Michael broke from his teasing for a moment and became serious. "God, I've missed you, Kitt." He touched the dash as if it were magical. "I never knew how much I depended on you until you were not around anymore. It's not just for the transportation either. I missed your wit and charm, buddy."  
  
"I feel the same way, Michael." Kitt said with relief flooding his voice. "Having Phil around wasn't much fun."  
  
Michael turned from contemplating the road to staring at the voicebox. He cocked an eyebrow, "Phil?"  
  
"Phillip Stevens." Kitt elaborated. "Your replacement in FLAG."  
  
"Aw buddy, I'm hurt," Michael kidded. "You replaced me?"  
  
"It wasn't my first choice." Kitt countered. He suddenly realized that he had no idea where they were heading. "Michael, where are you taking me?"  
  
"To get Tencher." Michael said as he floored the accelerator. The car leapt forward with a surge. "I know where he is and what I'm going to do when I find him."  
  
"I still don't understand how you are here today." Kitt stated, very confused. "I saw you get shot. You lost consciousness before we got to the emergency room. Your pulse stopped."  
  
"I got lucky." Michael stated matter-of-factly. "I did almost die. After Devon showed up I was just coming out of the surgery. My recovery was certain, but Devon thought it best that we let Tencher think I died. It would be the best way to throw him off our trail." Now his face was set in a grim mask.   
  
He waited to see if Kitt was going to say something, but when no reply was forthcoming, he continued his story. "That was me in that bed, Kitt. I was kept sedated and false readings were displayed on the monitors." He sighed. "I could hear you all talking to me, even you, Kitt." Tears filled his eyes at the memory. "I could not respond no matter how much I wanted to."  
  
"I didn't know, Michael. I had no wish to cause you any pain, physical or emotional." Kitt said softly. "Bonnie said to talk to you, so I did."  
  
"I appreciate it, Kitt. Really I do. It was the one thing I held on to, knowing that there were people there that cared for me." He swiped his face with one hand, wiping away the unshed tears. "While I was recuperating, Devon had a corpse prepared to look just like me. I bet you didn't really notice that the guy in that bed at the end was already dead." He chuckled at the thought. "I thought he looked pretty silly with a latex mask over his real features, but heck if it works for the movies, then why not in real life?"  
  
He stopped his story for a moment to check his position on a map. They were drawing close to the exit, so he hurried to explain the rest to Kitt before they got there. "Anyway, when the time was right, they took me for a CAT scan, remember?"  
  
"Yes, Michael, I do. Bonnie argued against it, knowing it would come out negative. She wanted to keep holding onto hope that you would come back to us."  
  
"Well, the body that came back wasn't me." Michael explained. "I was put in a private room while the rest of you were informed of the decision to disconnect me. I was now dead for the second time in my life. Devon put me up in a safe house a few blocks away from the mansion. We began working together to track this guy while I finished healing." He swallowed tightly past the block in his throat. "All I wanted was to get him and get back to my life."  
  
"Wow that is quite a story, Michael." Kitt stated when Michael finally finished. "Was Bonnie in on it too?"  
  
Michael shook his head softly. "No."  
  
"She will not be pleased when she hears of your deception."  
  
Michael swallowed again. "Yeah, I know. She will probably kill me herself when she finds out." He waited a minute before asking the question he knew would be the key to it all. "Kitt, are you angry at me for the fib?"  
  
Kitt had to think for a few minutes. Was he angry about being kept in the dark? For the lies told? For putting Phillip in the driver's seat? All this scanned through his processor before he came up with his answer. "No, Michael. I'm very glad to know that it was not you in that casket."  
  
A flood of relief washed over Michael. Those were the words he had been hoping to hear. Now if only Kitt would agree to the rest, this would be over soon. "Thank you, Kitt."  
  
A few heartbeats passed as man and machine sat in quiet acceptance of each other. This was how it was supposed to be. This was just so right, where Phillip and Kitt had been so wrong. Michael broke the silence. "Kitt, I need to know that you are with me now."  
  
"Of course, Michael."  
  
"I'm going to unlock the computer controls to let you have access again. Technically speaking, I've stolen you and you could bring me to the authorities. I'm trusting you, Kitt." He reached down and pressed in the code to unlock everything. "It's your ballgame now."  
  
The computer functions were restored with a beep. Kitt felt access being allowed again. He didn't hesitate with his decision. "Michael, in which direction is Tencher located?"  
  
Michael let out a whoop of joy. "Yeah, buddy!! Way to go!" His smile lit up his whole face. "You are the best, pal."  
  
"I think it should be the other way around," Kitt corrected. "You are the best."  
  
"We will discuss that later, buddy. Right now, we have to get off the highway at the next exit. Tencher is holed up at his office. If everything goes right, we will be able to nail him once and for all."  
  
"You can count on me, Michael. It's good to have you back." Kitt said with complete sincerity.  
  
The car pulled off the highway and into the night.  
  
*****  
  
It hadn't taken long for them to apprehend Tencher, for the team worked like a charm. Michael had tailed Tencher, and when he made the drop for the goods, Michael stepped out of Kitt and nearly gave Tencher a heart attack.  
  
The authorities arrived to arrest Tencher as Michael drove off back to the Foundation and to finally meet up with Bonnie.   
  
He was a bit nervous as he stepped into the foyer of the Foundation mansion. Phillip had been at a loss as to who had stolen Kitt, and Devon had nixed the idea of a chase after the stolen car.   
  
Bonnie had been extremely upset at the whole incident. She had paced the room for a bit before leaving to try and activate Kitt's homing signal. To her disappointment it had been turned off. She tried quite a few more things to get in contact with Kitt, with all of them failing. Ready to admit defeat, she finally left her office and headed toward Devon's.   
  
As she approached she heard voices inside, which she mistook for Phillip's and Devon's. They were discussing the apprehension of Tencher and how smoothly it had gone off.   
  
"How dare they," she fumed to herself. "They planned Kitt's abduction to go chase after him!" She steeled herself for a good argument and pushed open the door.  
  
The first thing she registered was that there were three people in the room, not two. Devon was sitting at his desk, Phillip was sitting on the small sofa, and a very familiar face was standing there in front of her laughing at something Devon had just said.  
  
She immediately forgot her anger, as all color drained from her face and she felt her blood run cold. She barely took two steps into the room saying just a single word before fainting dead away. "Michael?!?"  
  
*****  
  
In her dreams she was being held tightly by Michael, his happy face leaning over hers and he touched her cheek gently with one warm hand. "Bonnie, you mean the world to me," his dream-self told her. "Bonnie, you are the best thing that ever happened to me."  
  
She smiled and reached up to kiss him. "Michael, oh Michael."  
  
His arms enveloped her in a warm embrace. "Bonnie... Bonnie…"  
  
Bonnie felt herself being shaken slightly. Warm hands were on her arms, urging her to open her eyes. She was laying on something, the couch perhaps?  
  
"Bonnie?"  
  
No. No. It was the voice from her dreams. The one she heard night and day.   
  
"Bonnie? Come on, girl."  
  
She cracked one eye open and nearly fainted again. Not only was the voice from her dreams haunting her, so was his face. "No," she moaned in disbelief. She slammed her eye shut and raised both hands to cover her face.  
  
"It's okay, Bonnie." Devon said gently. "You are not hallucinating."  
  
This time she opened both her eyes and stared up into the very concerned blue ones staring back at her. "Michael?" Her voice trembled at the word.  
  
He nodded, his curly brown hair shaking just the tiniest bit with the movement. "I'm afraid so." He was bending over her, one hand brushing her hair from her face.  
  
She let out a yelp that made Phillip take a few steps back, and grabbed Michael tightly around the neck. In two seconds she was off the couch and he was in her arms. She clung to him like a drowning person. "Michael, oh Michael!" Her hands roamed over his back, giving her the feel of reality. He was solid, he was warm, and he was ALIVE!  
  
"Whoa, whoa!" He said, trying to pry her loose. "Calm down, Bonnie."  
  
She finally managed to find her sense of sanity and release him. She went from being instantly elated to totally pissed. "How dare you!" she shrieked at him and began to pummel him with her fists.   
  
He blocked the blows easily. "Bonnie-"  
  
She went from pummeling to slapping. "I thought you were DEAD! You nearly gave me a heart attack just now."  
  
Devon stepped in between the two of them. "Calm down, Bonnie."  
  
She felt weak in the knees as her body threatened to collapse again. Phillip moved to help her to the couch. She accepted his hand and sat back down. Devon handed her a cup of water.  
  
Her hand was shaking as she sipped it. "Would someone tell me just what the hell is going on in here?"  
  
Michael told his story to Bonnie who began to calm down the more she heard. By the end of his tale she was feeling much better and more like her normal self. She took a few deep breaths as he ended the story.  
  
"Are you mad at me?" He asked her, watching her reaction carefully.  
  
"I'm not sure whether to be angry, frustrated, happy, or what." She rubbed her eyes with her hands. "One thing I know is that I'm shocked."  
  
He appeared a bit let down, but she figured he could live with that for the time being. "Come back to me in a few hours once the shock has worn off," she advised him. "Right now I need to check on Kitt." She made as if to get up and leave but her legs wobbled as she walked.   
  
Michael was by her side in an instant, offering a hand. "Kitt's fine, Bonnie. Let me take you back to your room, and we can talk for a bit." He dropped the tone of his voice to a whisper. "Without them around." He indicated with a tip of his head in the direction where Devon and Phillip stood. They were discussing his new place in FLAG now that Michael had returned.  
  
Part of her wanted to refuse, she wanted to think this out alone, to come to terms with what it all meant, but she squelched those thoughts in favor of the other ones invading her senses: His smell, his touch, his voice. Things she had thought she would never have again.  
  
"Alright," she agreed. She nodded politely to Phillip and then placed a hand on Devon's arm. "I'll be okay," she told him. "I'm just surprised is all."  
  
"Well you get some rest, Bonnie." He said with a smile. "We can talk tomorrow when you are feeling better."  
  
Phillip bade her goodnight and then Michael was whisking her out of the room and down the long halls toward the wing where her room was. As she walked she stole glances at Michael, forcing her brain to accept him as real.  
  
"What?" Michael asked her, teasingly. "You keep looking at me as if you expect me to vanish in front of your eyes."  
  
"Wouldn't you?" She countered. "If I was suddenly gone and came back six months later, wouldn't you expect me to vanish?"  
  
He shrugged. "Possibly." He stopped walking for a moment and it took her two steps to realize she was walking alone. She turned back. "What is it, Michael?"  
  
He seemed to be pondering saying something to her, but decided against it. "Nothing. I'm just thinking to myself."  
  
He started walking and they soon were at her room. She opened the door and let him in. It was sparsely furnished, mainly used when she couldn't make the trip back to her apartment on the other side of town. She closed the door behind him then sank onto her bed, her head in her hands as her shoulders started to shake.  
  
He sat beside her and comforted her while she let out torrents of tears. She was once again holding him, this time with no desire to let him go anytime soon. "Michael," she sobbed. "Don't ever scare me like that again."  
  
"Shh. I won't." He hugged her tightly trying to place himself in her position. What if it had been her? How would he feel?   
  
She stopped after a while and he handed her a few tissues from the box kept near her bed on the nightstand. "Here you go." He brushed the hair away from her face. She took the tissues and blew her nose. Silence filled the room.  
  
She was staring at him, forcing his eyes to lock on hers. With no further words, she reached up and kissed him deeply.   
  
The kiss lasted several minutes, with neither one of them willing to break it. When Bonnie finally did, she was breathless.   
  
Michael took in a deep breath of air. He hadn't known he could kiss that long. "What brought that on?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."  
  
She shrugged. "Just a promise I made the day of the funeral. I told myself that I was sorry I never got the chance to tell you how I felt." She took one of his hands in hers and kissed the knuckles briefly. "I don't plan on making that same mistake again."  
  
Michael removed his jacket and laid it on the foot of the bed. Bonnie had to smile. "It was you." She touched the repaired comlink gracing his wrist. "I see you fixed it."  
  
He grinned modestly. "I couldn't do a mission without one."   
  
"How did Kitt take the news?" Bonnie asked, curious.  
  
"Much the same way you did, but without the pounding." He picked up her small hands. "But I'd suffer it all again, to show you I was not dead."  
  
"I meant what I said, Michael Knight. Don't you ever, ever pull such a stunt on me again. Next time you are dead, you better be dead!" She balled up one fist tightly. "Or else!"  
  
"I promise." He held up two fingers in a Boy Scout salute. "Scout's honor." Then he gave her a full smile that melted her from her head to her toes.  
  
"Come here, Michael Knight." She pulled him close to her. "Let me show you what being alive is all about." She began kissing him again.   
  
And spent the rest of the night doing just that.  
  
~End 


End file.
